Winding machine



- Oct. 28, 1941. I c:. R. SIBLEY I I 2,260,921

WINDING MACHINE I Filed June 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Shut 1 Oct. 28, 1941. c. R. SIBLEY WINDING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1940 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 Wvmvrmz (%f w w Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDING MACHINE Charles R. Sibley,.Marl lehcad, Mass, assignor to Sibley-Pym Corporation, Lynn,Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 27, 1940, Serial No. 342,743

Claims. r 10]. 242.-3)

for example there is a demand for a hard core of high resiliency and this 'is produced by winding under high tension the elastic thread of which it is composed. The higher the tension in winding the thread, the more difiioult it is to maintain a uniform tension throughout the core and 110 the more skill and precautions are required on the part of the operator and in the mechanical handling of the thread and core to prevent breakage.

The objector the present invention is to provide a winding machine capable of operation at high speed, requiring little skill on the part-of the operator and capable of producing in commercial quantity cores harder and more resilient .and more perfectly spherical than any hitherto available. While there is always danger of breaking a tensioned elastic thread in the winding operation, thereis the further danger that'if the thread has been chafed in handling, it may break under tension in the core even after the 5 winding operation has been entirely completed. In the machine of my invention the handling of the elastic thread is such that this afterbreakage is eliminated or reduced to a minimum.

To this end an important feature of the inven- 0 tion consists in a novel tensioning mechanism including a brake-controlled drum of substantial diameter about which the elastic thread is led in passing to the core being wound. This construction is beneficial in that the application of tension to the thread is thus spread gradually over a substantial length and not concentrated in a limited length of thread; in other words, the thread is given a substantial length in which to accommodate and condition itself to the state of maximum tension.

Another feature of theinvention consists in provision of means for transversely shifting the position of the thread upon the tension drum during the operation of the machine, a mode of operation beneficial from the wearing standpoint and also one which insures uniform treatment of the thread.

Still another feature of the invention consists in an indicator or' signal for warning the operator whenever the tension on the thread drops below the desired degree of high tension. This eliminates the waste of winding cores which are below the required degree of hardness. While the machine is in operation the indicator of my invention functions to warn the operator whenever the tension drops below the desired degree and the tension mechanism may be adjusted at once.

Other features of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter morein detail, In general these contribute to improve the smoothness of starting and stopping the machine, to the convenience of threading it and of placing the core in and removing itfrom operative position, and to the simplicity and compactness of the mechanism.

These and otherfeatures of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a front view in perspective of the machine,

} Fig.2 is a fragmentary view in elevation, part- -ly in section of the indicating device, and

'. Fig. 3 is'a rear view in perspective.

[In the drawings only so much of the machine isshown as is needed for a complete understanding -ofthe presentinvention. The illustrated machine is of "the general type disclosed in U, S.

Letters Patent No. 2,033,356, granted March 10,

1936, onan application of'Arthur F. Pym, and for'further details of construction reference may be 'had to that patent.

The winding machine has a frame which includes the vertical panel II) from which the core supporting rolls H and l2 project in side by side horizontal alignment. An endless elastic apron [3 extends about and travels upon the rolls. It is adapted to be driven by the inner roll I2 and in its bight supports and rotates the core which is to be-wound. The inner roll I2 is carried by a driven shaft journaled in the panel of the .machineframe in alignment with the motor shaft l4 upon which is mounted a clutch I5 of any commercial construction, for example, that shown'in said Patent No, 2,033,356. The clutch isthrown into and out of operation to drive the rotary roll l2 by a shipper lever ll pivotally mounted on its upper end upon a bracket I 6 projecting rearwardly from the flange of the panel It. At its lower end the shipper lever is connected with a long spring I8, adapted to be adjusted in tension by the setting of a screw 23 conveniently located in the panel l0 and having a hook upon its rear end to which the spring I8 is attached.- The shipper lever I! is moved in opposition to this spring by a horizontal rod [9 having at its rear end a yoke pivotally connected to the shipper lever and extending at its front end through the panel l6 and into contact with a pivoted contact piece 20. The latter is journaled to swing upon a transverse pin or spindle mounted in a bracket 2| fast to the face of the panel [0. The contact piece 23 is held by the action of the spring I8 through the rod 19 against the inner wedgeshaped face of a starting arm 22 mounted to swing about a horizontal stud projecting from the face of the panel l6 and having at its outer or left-hand end an operating handle. When the arm 22 is depressed by the operator the rod times the diameter of either of the core support- I9 is forced rearwardly with a smooth and easy 7 2| which is shaped to enclose the end of the arm I and confine its motion to appropriate limits,

The thread supply is provided by a spool or reel 25 removably mounted between the arms of a yoke-shaped carrier 26 supported upon a standard 21' above the panel In. A brake shoe 28 is arranged to bear yieldingly upon the body of the threadv upon the spool 25 so preventing overrunning as the thread is drawn therefrom. An elongated guide roll 29 is obliquely mounted in the base of the carrier 26. The roll is slightly longer than the spool and in position to deflect the elastic thread in passing from the spool to the tension drum 30. It is oblique in that it rotates on an axis which is neither parallel to the axis of the spool nor perpendicular to a line normal to the face of the panel [0 and it is thus effective to shift the path of the thread nearer to or further from the face of the panel according to the point at which the thread is drawn from the spool.

A tension drum 36 of substantial diameter is mounted upon the forward end of a horizontal shaft journaled in a boss 3| projecting rearwardly from the panel H). The axis of the drum 30 is perpendicular to the face of the panel In. At its rear end this shaft carries a flanged brake drum 32 surrounded by a brake band 33 one end of which is fast to a pin 34 set in the panel [0 and the. other end of which is secured to a link rod 35. .This link is connected at its lower end to a lever 36 pivotally mounted in the base of the frame and arranged to be operated by a vertical rod 31 which extends upwardly through the upper flange of the panel l6. Above the flange the operating rod 31 passes through an arm 39 pivotally mounted to swing about a horizontal axis and normally elevated by a compression spring a 40. At its upper end the rod 31 carries an adjustable thumb nut 38. The spring 40 therefore tends always to lift the free end of the arm 39, lift the operating rod 31 and rock the lever 36 so as to tension the brake band 33 upon the drum 32 and retard turning of the tension drum 30. The degree of brake band tension may be regulated by adjusting the thumb nut 38 on the end of the rod 31. A tension spring 4! extends between the end of the lever 36 and a pin 42 proing rolls l2 or 13 and about three times the diameter of the completed core. It is also substantially larger than the brake drum 32. It is so located that the length of thread upon its circumference is always greater than the length of the thread between it and the core being wound. A tension drum of these general proportions is an important feature of my novel machine. It provides an arc of contact with the elastic thread of such length that slipping is practically eliminated even though the thread is not tensioned substantially upon the circumference of the drum at the leading-on point.

Preferably and as herein shown, the circumference of the drum tapers or flares outwardly and the result of this construction is to spread the strands of thread as they pass about the drum preventing them from overlapping and chafing or wearing on each other. The diagonal roll 29 moreover, leads the thread to the tension drum at a constantly varying point of contact as the thread is drawn from the different points in the length of the reel. This not only prevents wear on the tension drum but contributes to the smooth running of the mechanism.

As the thread leaves the tension drum 30 it passes upwardly and over a grooved guide roll 43 mounted for free rotation in the upper end of an arm 44 fast to the end of a shaft 45 projecting forwardly from the panel Ill and 'journaled therein. The arm 44 is urged toward the right or away from the core by its connection with tension'indicating mechanism which will now be described and which is shown in detail in Fig. 2.

A bracket 46 having a longitudinal bore is secured to the front of the panel l0 behind the upper portion of the tension drum 30. In the bore of the bracket is disposed a longitudinally adjusted rod comprising an outer tubular section 41 and a solid inner rod section 48 carrying a check nut 49 at its right hand end and a flanged collar 50 at its left hand end. The effective length of the rod may be adjusted by screwing the inner rod section in or out of the tubular section 41 and'the adjusted relationship may be fixed by means of the set nut 49. A compression spring 5| located within the bracket 46 and bearmg against the end of the tubular section 41 tends to move the rod as a whole always toward the right in its bracket 46. The flange 56 engages the edge of the arm 44 and tends always to swing the arm in the same direction. At the extreme end of the rod 48 is provided a flange 52 WhlCh is engaged between a pair of projecting ears upon the upper end of a pivotally mounted pointer 53. An index pin 54 projects from the face ofthe panel ID in line with the central or vertical position of the pointer.

I It will be apparent that tension in the thread passing from the tension drum 36 to the core tends to swing the lever 44 toward the left and to rock the index end of the pointer 53, toward the rlght. The position of the arm 44 and the pointer 53 therefore depends upon the degree of tension in this portion of the thread. If the ten- SlOll' drops, the arm 44 is permitted to sway toward the right with a corresponding indication of the polnter 53. If the tension increases, the arm 44 tends to sway toward the left, the spring is increasingly compressed and the .pointer.53 moves toward the right- For any desired degree of tension in the thread the rod ll -48 maylbe adjusted to'bring the pointer to the index pin 54. "Having thus adjusted the'indicating mechanism "theoper'ator-is advised during each secondiof'the winding operation whether the tension has slackened or increased from the desired standard. As already intimated the industry now requires hard cores that must'be wound with a high degree of tension. Accordingly, if the pointer 53 is deflected at any time away from the index pin 54, the operator is warned that the core being wound will not be up to the required standard of hardness and immediate steps may be taken to remedy the unsatisfactory condition. The waste of winding commercially unsatisfactory cores is therefore obviated.

As in the machine of said patent above identified, the illustrated machine includes an arm 66 fast to a transverse shaft 6| journalled in the panel I6 and carrying a detector roll 62 which is arranged to run upon the upper side of the core being wound. As the diameter of the core increases this arm 60 is lifted by the core itself. The shaft 6| is rocked and an arm 63 secured to the shaft 6| behind the panel In is correspondingly lifted. The arm 63 is normally urged downwardly by a tension spring 64 and it is connected through abent rod 65 to mechanism set for shifting the rod I9 of the clutch shipper when the diameter of the core has reached the dimension at which the winding operation should be terminated. A handle 66 is pivotally mounted upon the front of the panel and provided with a roll in position to engage the lower edge of the arm 60 for raising the same and getting the detector roll out of the way when the completed core is to be removed and a new core is to be placed in starting position.

The shaft 45, already referred to as carrying the arm 44, at its rear end is provided with a horizontal arm 6'! and this is connected through a vertical rod 68 to another arm 69 also connected to the clutch-tripping mechanism and forming part of a thread-brake stopping mechanism. The arm 44, therefore, has two functions. It serves as a portion of the indicating mechanism for indicating the running tension in the thread, and it also serves as a part of the threadbrake stopping mechanism in that its movement toward the right as suggested in Fig. 2 in the event of thread breakage will at once operate to throw the shipper l1 and disengage the clutch and bring the machine at once to rest.

The manner in which the machine is used will be understood from the foregoing description but may be summarized as follows. The indicator rod 4148 is adjusted as to length to bring the pointer 53 opposite the index pin 54 when the elastic thread passing over the guide roll 43 is tensioned to the proper degree for the work in hand. The hand lever 39 is then depressed, freeing the brake band 33 from the drum 32 and leaving the tension drum free to spin. The end of the elastic thread is drawn from the spool and carried 1 /2 turns about the circumference of the drum. It is then Wound for two or three turns upon the core center. The handle 66 is next swung toward the right lifting the roll 62 out of the way and the core is placed in position upon the bight of the apron 13. The roll 62 is now positioned upon the core and the machine started by depressing the handle 22 whereupon the roll I2 is rotated, driving the apron l3 and the roll H which has an endwis'e reciprocatory motionin additionto its rotation. 'The'ijcore is thus'wound: up to the desired diameter and with the necessary degree of tension. At the conclusion of the winding operation the lifting of the arm 60 operates to :stop the machine and the operator is :free to remove the completed core.

Having thus disclosed my invention and describedan illustrative embodiment thereof I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. A winding machine of the class described including in its organization a pair of rotary supports for a core, a supply of elastic thread, a tension drum about the circumference of which the thread passes on its Way to the core, said drum being spaced from said supports and of such diameter that the length of thread upon it exceeds at all times the length of the thread between it and. the core, and controlled means for retarding rotation of said drum.

2. A winding machine of the class described including in its organization means for supporting and rotating a core to be wound, a tension drum having a wide flaring flange about which thread passes on its way to the core, and threadguiding means arranged to direct thread to varying points on the circumference of said drum.

3. A winding machine of the class described including in its organization means for supporting and rotating a core to be wound, a tension drum having a wide flaring flange about which thread passes on its way to the core, a thread reel, and a guide roll rotatable upon an axis not perpendicular to the axis of the tension drum and oblique to the axis of the reel arranged to direct thread to varying points on the tension drum as the thread is drawn from varying points in the reel.

4. A winding machine including means for supporting and rotating a core, a tension device about which elastic thread is passed on its way to a core, and means operating between the core .and said device for indicating the degree of tension in the thread.

5. A winding machine including means for supporting and rotating a core, a tension device from which elastic thread passes on its way to the core,

a fixed index, and adjustable means cooperating therewith to indicate variations in the tension of the thread from a predetermined standard.

6. A winding machine including means for supporting and rotating a core, a tension device from which elastic thread passes on its way to the core, a roll-carrying :arm controlled in its position by the thread, a spring operated device acting on the arm in opposition to the pull of the thread, a pointer adjustably connected to the arm, and an index cooperating with the pointer.

'7. A winding machine including means for supporting and rotating a core, a tension device from which elastic thread passes on its Way to the core, a roll-carrying arm controlled in its position by the thread, a spring actuated rod adjustably extensible and arranged to urge the arm away from the core, a pivotally mounted pointer operated by said rod, and a fixed index cooperating with the pointer.

8. A winding machine including means for supporting and rotating a core, a tension device from which elastic thread passes on its way to the core, a spring actuated arm arranged to pull against'the bight of the thread between the tension device and the core, and a tension indicator and automatic thread-break stopping mechanism both controlled by movement of said arm.

presents a vertical face, core-supporting rolls pro- 10 jecting forwardly from said face, a tension drum of'greater' diameter than the combined coresupporting rollsmounted to rotate in front of saidface, and tension indicating mechanism constructed and arranged to act on thread passing fromthe tension drum to the core and including a pointer located upon the opposite side of the tension drum from the core-supporting rolls.

CHARLES R. SIBLEY. 

